I am here today to request the Pittsburgh City Council
take action to enact a University Impact Aid law that will compel universities
to provide greater financial assistance to the residential communities
they burden with their presence.

The University of Pittsburgh has
benefitted tremendously by its presence in Oakland. The University owns almost 100
buildings throughout Oakland, 27,000 students attend classes there, there
are close to 8,000 dormitory beds within our community, it has amassed
an endowment of $2.5 billion dollars, and its businesses have earned
hundreds of millions of dollars in profit.

On the other hand, the lives
of long-time Oakland residents have been negatively impacted by the University’s
presence. Student population has dramatically increased while the long-time
residential population has declined severely. It is well documented that
our community has one of the worst trash and litter problems in the city,
and residents have on occasion paid for private police to protect their
families and properties because of problems with student binge drinking.
Numerous other problems are well-documented at the website oaklanddignity.com.

Our grassroots movement in South Oakland started over five
years ago with a simple request that the University of Pittsburgh provide
our residential community with funding for an environmental program known
as SOUL (South Oakland Urban Litter). The University administrators refused
our plea for assistance, and callously remarked that we should start
a Neighborhood Improvement District if we want to have a cleaner neighborhood.
It may well be that nowhere in our country has a University taken so
much from a community and given back so little in direct funding.

Despite
our efforts, we cannot force Pitt administrators to care more deeply
for our community. That is why we are requesting Councilman Bruce Kraus
spearhead efforts for the enactment of a University Impact Aid law.

Our
grassroots movement has taken the high road to accomplish our visions.
We are once again letting Pitt administrators know that they will never
take away our dignity, diminish our intensity, shackle our freedom or
break our spirit. They will never silence the voices of the descendents
of the preuniversity settlers and their supporters who seek social justice.